Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Stock: Insider Richard Fenton Baalmann, Jr. Sells 2,000 Shares

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Director Richard Fenton Baalmann, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.00, for a total value of $42,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 95,794 shares in the company, valued at $2,011,674. This represents a 2.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Escalade Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ESCA traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $20.98. The company had a trading volume of 22,749 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,234. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.29. The firm has a market cap of $288.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.99 and a beta of 0.54. Escalade, Incorporated has a 1-year low of $12.25 and a 1-year high of $23.07.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $65.61 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.48 million. Escalade had a net margin of 10.03% and a return on equity of 13.48%. Analysts expect that Escalade, Incorporated will post 1.59 EPS for the current year.

Escalade Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 11th. Investors of record on Monday, January 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.1525 per share. This represents a $0.61 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 4th. Escalade’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on ESCA. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH began coverage on Escalade in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised Escalade from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered Escalade from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 31st. Finally, Zacks Research cut Escalade from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Escalade

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Escalade in the second quarter worth $9,851,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Escalade during the second quarter valued at about $1,720,000. De Lisle Partners LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Escalade in the second quarter worth about $1,204,000. Northstar Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Escalade in the second quarter worth about $1,136,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Escalade by 3.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 20,033 shares of the company’s stock worth $344,000 after buying an additional 661 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.22% of the company’s stock.

Escalade Company Profile

Escalade, Inc. is a sporting goods manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. The company develops, manufactures and markets products for recreational and competitive sports, with a focus on indoor and outdoor activities. Its product portfolio includes table tennis equipment, pickleball and other game-related products, archery equipment, darts, billiards, game-room furnishings, and outdoor recreation products. Escalade sells products under a variety of established brands, including STIGA, Onix, Accudart, Victory Tailgate, Harrows and Unicorn, as well as through private-label offerings.